BUSINESS ABROAD: Volkswagen for Sale

The West German government is one of
the world's richest property holders. Though it is committed to free
enterprise, it controls 314 German industrial companies worth well over
$1 billion, which it inherited from the Kaisers and the Nazis. These
control 90% of the nation's lignite mining, 50% of its. iron-ore
mining, 20% of its hard-coal mining plus much of its production of
aluminum (70%), lead (42%), zinc (28%), oil (18%) and steel (5%). The
state also controls 100% of the German railway (total employment:
500,000) and telegraph systems.